Since stalking is not a uniform behaviour with any one consistent motive there can be no single, effective strategy for stopping it. Any approach to the problem of stalking must take account of the individual circumstances, including the nature of any prior relationship between the victim and stalker, the stalker's likely motivation and his mental state, the methods used to harass and the jurisdiction in which the stalking occurs. There are, however, a number of general strategies that have proved useful in combating stalking. The advice in this chapter is necessarily overinclusive. Not all strategies will be appropriate in every case. You will need to assess which of these are relevant to your particular situation. Your friends, family, legal adviser, counsellor or the police can assist with this.

It will hardly seem fair that your stalker has relegated you to a position of having to make significant changes to your life, and from time to time victims have responded by refusing to compromise in any way lest it be seen to be ‘giving in’. However, this is not a time to be headstrong. Your first priority must be your safety and that of your loved ones. Implementing these strategies is not about giving in but fighting back.

Avoid contact and confrontation

Victims can do little if anything to alter directly their stalkers' behaviour, but they can modify their own actions.